Therapists apply various techniques when treating an individual, dependant upon the condition of the individual. Some techniques can require persistant application, which can be quite taxing on a therapist, especially therapists who provide treatment generally unassisted.
Some therapists have made use of various tools designed to more effectively and/or more easily apply certain techniques. Different tools have had varying degrees of success. Some tools may improve some aspects related to applying a particular therapy, while sometimes making other aspects worse. Other tools may fall short of the desired effect, or may be the victim of ever increasing demands that they were never intended to meet and/or address. Consequently, there is an ever increasing demand to develop more effective techniques, some of which may only be possible with an appropriate tool. Furthermore, there is a demand to increase the effectiveness of existing tools.
Several techniques require the targeted application of pressure and/or force. At least a couple of examples include muscle stripping, trigger point, friction, and effleurage. Furthermore, the addition of force to other types of therapies can sometimes improve their effectiveness. However, the persistent application of force can, in some instances, be taxing on a therapist. Consequently, techniques and/or tools, which can assist in the application of force or can more effectively apply an existing force can serve to relieve some of the strain on a therapist applying a particular technique.
Furthermore, tools which help combine the effective application of force with other therapies may also be beneficial. For example, ice treatments have historically been used to stop bleeding and correspondingly reduce swelling, thereby correspondingly limiting the further trauma to an area. More recently, ice massages have been used to more effectively apply a chill to an area, and enable the temperature effects to penetrate deeper and more quickly. It is believed that applying a force during an ice massage further enhances the penetration of the chilling effects.
Still further, techniques or tools that help to eliminate other impediments to the application of an effective treatment, either to the recipient of the treatment, or the person applying the treatment, would additionally be beneficial.